The present invention relates, in general, to a lamp for use on a radio antenna, and more particularly to a lamp that is illuminated solely by radio frequency radiation from the antenna.
Although it has been known in the past to combine lamps of various types with antennas, and particularly radio antennas for automobiles, such lamps have principally served a decorative function unrelated to the principle use of the antenna, which is radio communication. While such lamp arrangements serve a useful purpose, they have not been able to solve the problem which applicant has solved in the present invention.
The recent popularity of Citizen's Band radio and the resulting proliferation of radio equipment has produced an explosion in the amount of radio traffic on the various Citizen's Band frequencies, and there is a great deal of concern about methods for reducing this traffic in such a way as to maintain the convenience and usefulness of these radio bands. One of the problems that occurs is that users of such equipment inadvertently leave their transmitters on, causing their equipment to transmit continuously, and cluttering the channel to which the transmitter is tuned. By providing a lamp that may be easily attached to the antenna of a Citizen's Band radio, and which will be responsive to the transmission of the radio frequency (RF) energy, a means may be provided by which the source of such transmissions may readily be determined. Such a lamp provides easy identification of a unit that is transmitting, and this may be a great convenience where several users are operating from the same general area. In addition a lamp of this type will be a popular novelty item for Citizen's Band radio users.